Publications

Publications & Preprints

Universality & Unreachability

The View from Within: What Can Embedded Observers (Not) Learn?

Tomáš Gonda and Johannes Fankhauser and Gemma De les Coves. arxiv.org/abs/2608.25800

Universal Spin Models are Universal Approximators in Machine Learning

Tobias Reinhart and Gemma De les Coves. Phys. Rev. E 113, L043301 (2026). arxiv.org/abs/2507.07669

The Structure of Emulations in Classical Spin Models: Modularity and Universality

Tobias Reinhart, Benjamin Engel and Gemma De les Coves. J. Math. Phys., 67, 073303 (2026). arxiv.org/abs/2407.13428

Epistemic Horizons From Deterministic Laws: Lessons From a Nomic Toy Theory

Johannes Fankhauser, Tomáš Gonda and Gemma De les Coves. Synthese 250, No. 136 (2025). arxiv.org/abs/2406.17581

An Invitation to Universality in Physics, Computer Science, and Beyond

Tomáš Gonda and Gemma De les Coves. In: Category Theory at Work in Computational Mathematics and Theoretical Informatics (CATMI),
part of the book series on Fundamental Structures in Computational and Pure Mathematics, published by Birkhäuser--Springer. arxiv.org/abs/2406.16607

Universality and complexity in natural languages: Mechanistic and emergent

Gemma De les Coves, Bernat Corominas-Murtra and Ricard Solé. preprints.org/manuscript/202402.1330/v1

A Framework for Universality in Physics, Computer Science and Beyond

T. Gonda, T. Reinhart, S. Stengele, G. De les Coves. Compositionality 6, No. 3 (2024). arxiv.org/abs/2307.06851

Why can the brain (and not a computer) make sense of the liar paradox?

Patrick T. Fraser, Ricard Sole, Gemma De las Cuevas. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 9, 802300 (2021).

Simple universal models capture all classical spin physics

G. De las Cuevas, T. S. Cubitt. Science 351, 1180 (2016). arXiv:1406.5955 See Piece by Adrian Cho, Perspective by Stephanie Wehner, This Week in Science by Jelena Stajic, Interview at Welt der Physik, Press release at MPQ, Phys.org

The U(1) Lattice Gauge Theory Universally Connects All Classical Models with Continuous Variables, Including Background Gravity

Y. Xu, G. De las Cuevas, W. Dür, H. J. Briegel, M. A. Martin–Delgado. J. Stat. Mech. P02013 (2011). arXiv:1010.2041

Mapping all classical spin models to a lattice gauge theory

G. De las Cuevas, W. Dür, H. J. Briegel, M. A. Martin–Delgado. New J. Phys. 12, 043014 (2010). arXiv:0911.2096

Unifying All Classical Spin Models in a Lattice Gauge Theory

G. De las Cuevas, W. Dür, H. J. Briegel, M. A. Martin–Delgado. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 230502 (2009). arXiv:0812.3583

Completeness of classical spin models and universal quantum computation

G. De las Cuevas, W. Dür, M. Van den Nest, H. J. Briegel. J. Stat. Mech. P07001 (2009). arXiv:0812.2368

Mathematical Quantum Physics

Positive Moments Forever: Undecidable and Decidable Cases

Gemma De les Coves, Joshua Graf, Andreas Klingler, Tim Netzer. Linear Algebra and its Applications 722, 255 (2025). arxiv.org/abs/2404.15053

Beyond Operator Systems

Gemma De les Coves, Mirte van der Eyden, and Tim Netzer. J. Math. Anal. 556, 130102 (2026). arxiv.org/abs/2312.13983

Border Ranks of Positive and Invariant Tensor Decompositions: Applications to Correlations

Andreas Klingler, Tim Netzer and Gemma De les Coves. Quantum 9, 1649 (2025). arxiv.org/abs/2304.13478

Magic squares: Latin, Semiclassical and Quantum

Gemma De las Cuevas, Tim Netzer and Inga Valentiner-Branth. J. Math. Phys. 64, 022201 (2023). arxiv.org/abs/2209.10230

Many bounded versions of undecidable problems are NP-hard

Andreas Klingler, Mirte van der Eyden, Sebastian Stengele, Tobias Reinhart and Gemma De las Cuevas. SciPost Phys. 14, 173 (2023). arxiv.org/abs/2211.13532

Halos and undecidability of tensor stable positive maps

Mirte van der Eyden, Tim Netzer, Gemma De las Cuevas. J. Phys. A 55, 264006 (2022). arXiv:2110.02113

Polynomial decompositions with invariance and positivity inspired by tensors

Gemma De las Cuevas, Andreas Klingler, Tim Netzer. Linear Algebra and its Applications 698, 537 (2024). arXiv:2109.06680

Quantum Information Theory Meets Free Semialgebraic Geometry: One Wonderland Through Two Looking Glasses

Gemma De las Cuevas and Tim Netzer. IMN Nr. 246 (2021). arXiv:2102.04240

Cats climb entail mammals move: preserving hyponymy in compositional distributional semantics

Gemma De las Cuevas, Andreas Klingler, Martha Lewis and Tim Netzer. Journal of Cognitive Science 22, 311 (2021). arXiv:2005.14134

Approximate tensor decompositions: disappearance of many separations

Gemma De las Cuevas, Andreas Klingler and Tim Netzer. J. Math. Phys. 62, 093502 (2021) (Editor's pick). arXiv:2004.10219

Quantum magic squares: dilations and their limitations

Gemma De las Cuevas, Tom Drescher and Tim Netzer. J. Math. Phys. 61, 111704 (2020) (Featured by the Editor). arXiv:1912.07332 See AIP Scilight, UIBK news, El Periodico.

Tensor decompositions on simplicial complexes with invariance

Gemma De las Cuevas, Matt Hoogsteder Riera and Tim Netzer. Journal of Symbolic Computation, 124, 102299 (2024). arXiv:1909.01737

Mixed states in one spatial dimension: decompositions and correspondence with nonnegative matrices

Gemma De las Cuevas and Tim Netzer. J. Math. Phys. 61, 041901 (2020). arXiv:1903.05373

Optimal bounds on the positivity of a matrix from a few moments

Gemma De las Cuevas, Tobias Fritz and Tim Netzer. Comm. Math. Phys. 375, 105 (2020). arXiv:1808.09462

Fundamental limitations in the purifications of tensor networks

G. De las Cuevas, T. S. Cubitt, J. I. Cirac, M. M. Wolf, D. Pérez-García. J. Math. Phys. 57, 071902 (2016). arXiv:1512.05709

Purifications of multipartite states: limitations and constructive methods

G. De las Cuevas, N. Schuch, D. Perez-Garcia, J. I. Cirac. New J. Phys. 15, 123021 (2013). arXiv:1308.1914

The Grammar of Physical Interactions

The grammar of the Ising model: A new complexity hierarchy

Tobias Reinhart and Gemma De las Cuevas. Proc. R. Soc. A 481, 20240579 (2025). arxiv.org/abs/2208.08301

Classical spin Hamiltonians are context-sensitive languages

Sebastian Stengele, David Drexel and Gemma De las Cuevas. Proc. R. Soc. A 479, 20220553 (2023). arXiv:2006.03529

Quantum Many-Body Systems

Generalised ansatz for continuous Matrix Product States

Maria Balanzó-Juandó and Gemma De las Cuevas. Phys. Rev. A. 101, 052312 (2020) (Editor's suggestion). arXiv:1908.09761

Continuum limits of Matrix Product States

G. De las Cuevas, N. Schuch, D. Perez-Garcia, J. I. Cirac. Phys. Rev. B 98, 174303 (2018). arXiv:1708.00880

Irreducible forms of Matrix Product States: Theory and Applications

G. De las Cuevas, J. I. Cirac, N. Schuch, D. Perez-Garcia. J. Math. Phys., 58, 121901 (2017). arXiv:1708.00029

Energy as a detector of nonlocality of many-body spin systems

J. Tura, G. De las Cuevas, R. Augusiak, M. Lewenstein, A. Acín, J. I. Cirac. Phys. Rev. X 7, 0201005 (2017). arXiv:1607.06090 See UIBK news

Other works

On the use of direct-coupling analysis with a reduced alphabet of amino acids combined with super-secondary structure motifs for protein fold prediction

Bernat Anton, Mireia Besalú, Oriol Fornes, Jaume Bonet, Alexis Molina, Ruben Molina-Fernandez, Gemma De las Cuevas, Narcís Fernández-Fuentes, Baldo Oliva. NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics 3, Issue 2, lqab027 (2021). BioRxiv:10.1101/406603

Reducing spacetime to binary information

S. Weinfurtner, G. De las Cuevas, M. A. Martin–Delgado, H. J. Briegel. J. Phys. A 47 095301 (2014). arXiv:1210.5182

Projective simulation for artificial intelligence

H. J. Briegel and G. De las Cuevas. Sci. Rep. 2, 400 (2012). arXiv:1104.3787 See IQOQI, Uni Innsbruck, ÖAW, Pro-physik, APA-Science, Solid, Der Standard, ORF, DiePresse

Low-Gradient Magnetophoresis through Field-Induced Reversible Aggregation

G. De las Cuevas, J. Faraudo, J. Camacho. J. Phys. Chem. C 112 945-950 (2008).

Quantum Information & Statistical Mechanics

A quantum information approach to statistical mechanics

Gemma De las Cuevas. J. Phys. B 46, 243001 (2013). arXiv:1312.6007

Quantum algorithms for classical lattice models

G. De las Cuevas, W. Dür, M. Van den Nest, M. A. Martin–Delgado. New J. Phys. 13, 093021 (2011). arXiv:1104.2517

Book chapters

Conceptual considerations

Do simples exist? The light shed by computation on an ancient question

Gemma De les Coves. Book chapter for Quantum Gravity and Computation.Editors: Dean Rickles, Xerxes D. Arsiwalla and Hatem Elshatlawy. Routledge (2025).

Quantum Theory: Ideals, Infinities and Pluralities

Gemma De les Coves. Book chapter in "Open systems: Physics, Metaphysics and Methodology". Editors: M. E. Cuffaro and S. Hartmann. Oxford University Press (2025). philpapers.org/rec/HAROSP

Ser humà: La ferida de l'infinit. Una trobada íntima de la ciència i la cultura

Gemma De les Coves. Capítol pel llibre A camp obert. Pràctiques culturals contemporànies. A cura de Josep Ramoneda i Raül Garrigasait. Institut Ramon Llull i Arcàdia (2024). English edition: Being human: The wound of infinity. An intimate encounter of science and culture. In In an Open Field. Contemporary Cultural Practices. Curated by Josep Ramoneda and Raül Garrigasait. Institut Ramon Llull & Arcàdia (2024).

Other articles

Other works

¿Qué es el arte?

Gemma De les Coves. La Maleta de Portbou, Nr. 61 (2023).

La magia matemática que se esconde en la Sagrada Familia

Gemma De las Cuevas. El Pais (May 4, 2022).

What is reality?

Gemma De las Cuevas. Contribution to Conscious(ness) Realist, Blog by Larissa Albantakis (April 7, 2022).

¿Qué es la realidad?

Gemma De las Cuevas. Undecidability, Uncomputability, and Unpredictability Essay Contest, organized by FQXi (2020).

Magic Squares: A children's puzzle meets quantum physics

Gemma De las Cuevas, Tom Drescher and Tim Netzer. The Science Breaker (2022).

Universalität und Unentscheidbarkeit gehen Hand in Hand

Gemma De las Cuevas, Sebastian Stengele and Tobias Reinhart. Der Standard (October 27, 2021).

Universality Everywhere implies Undecidability Everywhere

Gemma De las Cuevas. Undecidability, Uncomputability, and Unpredictability Essay Contest, organized by FQXi (2020).

La unificación de los modelos de espín

Gemma De las Cuevas. Investigación y Ciencia, N. 482 (November 2016). (This journal no longer exists)